2025 Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest International Forum Opens with Great Success
Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Baek Younghyun) held the grand opening ceremony of the "2025 Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest International Forum" on October 16 at the multipurpose plaza of the Hantangang Ecological Landscape Complex.
Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon, is delivering a welcome speech at the opening ceremony of the "2025 Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest International Forum" held on the 16th at the Hantangang Ecological Landscape Complex Multipurpose Square. Provided by Pocheon City
This forum was organized to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the designation of Hantangang as a National Geopark and the 5th anniversary of its UNESCO Global Geopark status. The event aims to promote the value of UNESCO programs and strengthen international exchange and cooperation.
Key figures from around the world attended the event, including Yoneda Toru, former mayor of Itoigawa, Japan; Tamura Toshikatsu, mayor of Hakusan, Japan; Deng Jian, vice mayor of Lushan, China; and Alireza Amrikazemi, chair of the Iran Geoparks Network. They emphasized the importance of international solidarity among UNESCO programs.
The opening ceremony began with a vibrant traditional music and dance performance by the Pocheon City Folk Art Troupe. This was followed by a thematic video highlighting the ecological value of Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest, an opening address by Kim Seongnam, chair of the organizing committee, welcome speeches by Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon, and Cha Seongsu, director of the Gyeonggi Climate, Environment and Energy Bureau, and a congratulatory address by Lee Sujae, chair of the Korean Global Geoparks Network.
Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon, and other attendees are taking a commemorative photo after holding the opening ceremony of the "2025 Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest International Forum" on the 16th at the multipurpose plaza of the Hantangang Ecological Landscape Complex. Provided by Pocheon City
After the opening ceremony, keynote speeches were delivered, including "Regional Development and Biodiversity Mainstreaming Strategies" by Kim Jaehyun, professor at Konkuk University and former head of the Korea Forest Service, and "Popularization of UNESCO Global Geoparks and Revitalization of Local Communities" by Ryuzaburo Furukawa, mayor of Shimabara, Japan.
In addition, a talk concert featuring Lim Youngseok, director of the Korea National Arboretum, was held under the theme "Gwangneung Forest: Past, Present, and a Sustainable Future."
During the forum, various programs were operated around the venue, including geological and ecological experience activities, a Geofood sales zone featuring local specialties, and promotional booths from UNESCO partner organizations, offering citizens and visitors opportunities to directly experience the value of Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest.
The forum is co-hosted by Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, Pocheon City, Yeoncheon County, and Cheorwon County, and organized by the 2025 Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest International Forum Organizing Committee. Numerous organizations are supporting the event, including the National Geoparks Office, the Korean Committee for the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, the Korean Global Geoparks Network, Korea Water Resources Corporation, the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, the UNESCO International Centre for Global Protected Areas Research and Training, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, the Geological Society of Korea, and the Gyeonggi Earth Science Education Research Association. The forum will continue through October 19.
Baek Younghyun, mayor of Pocheon, stated, "Hantangang and Gwangneung Forest have become symbols of sustainable development where geology, ecology, and culture are harmoniously integrated through UNESCO programs. I hope this forum will create a new model for international cooperation in the conservation of geological and biosphere resources."
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